Improvement in lanterns



2 Sheets--Sheet M. W. HUSE.

Lanterns.

NQJSZALQB. Patented'lune 301 128174.

T' A'STATES .PATENT FFIen MARK IV. HOUSE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN LANTERNS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 152,493, dated June 30, 1874 application filed August 1,1872.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARK Wiccuvs HoUsE, of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have made an invention ot' certa-in new and useful Improvements inLanterns; and that the following is afull, clear, and exact description and specification of the same.

rlhe objects of this invention are to secure the glass globe to the lantern in such manner that it can be readily applied and removed, and also to secure rigidityin the various parts of the lantern, which are connected together with the capacity of disconnecting with facility. To these ends my invention consists, primarily, ot` the combination ofthe lantern-head and font by means of an expanding frame, which engages in a recess of the lantern-head, with the capacity of being contracted, so that it may be readily engaged and disengaged therefrom; or, it' preferred, the expanding frame may be engaged and disengaged with and from the font in like manner. Hy invention consists, further, of the combination of the standards of the said expanding frame rigidly with the font, so that the expanding trame is indued with great lateral rigidity; and my invention consists, further, of the combination of the globe gallery, (or support for the globe) with the font, through the intervention ot' the standards ot' the said expanding guard-frame, so that the burner is relieved from the strainsincidentto the globe, while the portion of the burner between the font andthe ameslot is exposed tothe air.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I have represented in the accompan ying drawings, an d will proceed to describe, a lantern embodying all my improvements in the best form at present devised by me.

Figure l represents a side view of said lantern. Fig. 2 represents a central longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 represents a horizontal section of the same at the line K K.

The principal members of the said lantern are the font A, the burnerB, the glass globe E, the expanding frame D, and the lanternhead C. The expanding frame D is composed of a series of standards, a, and of rings b c S, by which they are connected. The lower two rings, b c, are complete, and are fixed solidly to the standards. The upper ring, 8, is divided, its ends, as seen in 3, being separated by a space, which permits the said two ends to be drawn together so as to contract the periphery oi.' the divided ring. rlhis divided ring is connected with the upper ends ot' the standards, and the frameis constructed of spring-wire, so that when it has been contracted b v the drawing together ot' the ends ofthe ring S, it tends to re-expand and as sume its original dimensions. The ends of the dividedring S are fastened to two of the standards, S T, so that the contraction of the frame is readily ett'eetcd by pressing the upper ends of the said two standards toward eachother. The lantern-head is constructed with a hollow rim, c, at its base, forming a ring-recess of a suitable area to receive the divided ring S and the upper ends of the standards which are connected with that rin The diameter ot' the periphery ot' the recess is alittle less than that ot' the divided ring when the upper end of the expanding frame (composed of the standards and rings) is expanded to its greatest extent 5 hence the lantern-head may be readily applied to the upper end ot' the expanding frame by pressing the ends ot' .the divided ring toward eachother, so as to contract the upper end of the frame sufficiently to permit it to be entered within the recess or cavity of the rim of the lanternhead and the said head may then be irinly connected with the expanding frame, and with the font to which that frame is secured, by rcleasing the divided ring and permitting the upper end of the frame to expand into the said recess or cavity of the rim. The two standards of the frame, to which the ends of the divided ring are secured, afford a convenient means of applying force to contract the upper end ot" the frame. The expanding frame is arranged outside of the lanternglobe E, so that the expanding frame not only secures the head and font with the capacity of disconnection, but also forms a guard to protect the globe from injury. The burner B of the lantern may be of any approved` variety. Its wick-tube is surrounded by a. perforated screen, G, to prevent rapid currents from blowing out the flame and a hole, L, of sufficient size to admit the lighted end of a match, is made in this screen, so that the Wick may be readily lighted Without removing the globe. The expanding' frame may be secured to the lantern-head and be arranged to connect and disconnect with the font A by expansion and contraction, the font in such case being fitted with a hollow rim, and the lower end ofthe frame being constructed with a divided ring; but it is deemed best to secure the standards a a of the expanding frame rigidly to the font, and to construct the upper end only of the expanding frame to expand and contract, because the frame is thereby rendered extreme- 1y strong to resist lateral strains. The lower end of the globe E is supported ona globegallery, I, which is perforated With small holes to admit air, and is also constructed with an opening at its center to tit upon the cone g of the burner. This globegallens7 is provided with arms h, Whose outer ends rest upon the lower ring, b, ot' the expanding frame, so that the strain of the globe is borne by the standards which surround the burner, and not by the burner, which is thus relieved ofthe strains ot the globe. This construction, While holding the globe rigidly, leaves an open space around the burner, so that the air has free access to it, and consequently the burner does not become as hot as it would it' the portion between the llame-slot and the font were incloscd ina case or in the globe. The employment ot the divided ring S to combine the several standards ofthe frame enables the spring force ol' all of them to be made available for the purpose ot' securing the font and lanterirhead. Moreover", the engagement of the divided ring with a ringrecess in the rim of the font or head connects the frame simultaneously with the opposite sides of the periphery ot' the said rim, so that the necessity of using a hinge to connect one side of the frame ivith the head or font is dis pensed With.

Iam aware that lanterns have heretofore been constructed with guard-framesv having springstandards, and also that the heads and fonts of lanterns have been combined by means of spring guard-trames of some kind. Therefore, I do not claim, broadly, the combination of the lantern-head and font by a spring guard-frame of every description.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the font, the lantern-head, the standards, and the divided ring which connects the ends of the standards and is engaged in the ring-recess of one ot' the first two.

2. The combination, substantially as before set forth, ot' the font, the globe-gallery above the font, the standards secured rigidly at their 'lowercnds to the saidfont and supporting the globe-gallery, the divided ring by which the upperen ds of the standards a-re connected, and the lantern-head having a ring-recess in which the said divided ring is engaged.

MARK IGGINS HOUSE.

litnessesz CHARLES GonDoN, FRED. L. HALL. 

